Pages

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Meet me at the Moat!

Some would say that no visit to the White Mountains is complete without seeing a moose. Yeah, well, been there done that and all. I even have a tee-shirt.For me, no visit to the White Mountains is complete without a stop at Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery. It's not that seeing a moose isn't an awesome experience. It's just that getting a good meal and a great beer at Moat Mountain is much more likely.Moat Mountain is one of my favorite breweries. Their beer is consistent and good and clearly made with care. On our way home from every trip to the North Conway area we always stop for lunch and get a bunch of growlers refilled. If they have Violet Bs Blueberry on tap that's what is most likely to go home with us. Hands down, that my favorite Moat beer but I have no complaints about any of their other beers.This time when we stopped they had a couple new-to-me brews that I had to try so I skipped the 24 ounce glass of blueberry and opted for something different. However, I did go home with a couple half-gallon jugs of blueberry goodness!

GerRye Pale Ale - Much like Iron Mike's the GerRye has a large hop presence. I admit I'm salivating just a bit thinking about it. It's crisp, a bit tart, pleasantly bitter with a touch of peppery spice. There are a lot of flavors co-mingling to make this tasty and very drinkable brew. It finishes dry with a hoppy bitterness that lingers. If you like hoppy beer . . . like *I* like hoppy beer . . . you'll like this one. Yum! Dunkel Weiss (5.70% ABV) - Looks aren't everything but I must say this beer has a gorgeous golden amber color. I"m not a huge fan of wheat beers . . . that is, I'm not a fan of wheat beer that is overpoweringly wheaty. This one actually has a nice balance of wheat, spice and fruitiness. Actually, quite refreshing and tasty. Smooth and drinkable . . . good stuff.